SOMERVILLE, NJ — A Somerville husband was charged with the murder of his wife, which happened early Thursday morning, said Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald.
Ignacio Espinal, 55, of Somerville, was charged with first-degree murder, third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and third-degree hindering.
On Aug. 6, at around 7:26 p.m., a 911 call was made reporting concerns for the welfare of a female resident of Brookside Avenue in Somerville.
Somerville Police Officers found the woman with multiple lacerations to her chest, neck, and thigh, said McDonald.
The female victim, identified as Alyne Espinal, 46, was pronounced dead at the scene. Read More: Woman Found Dead After 911 Call In Somerset County
Somerville Police Detectives, along with the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office Major Crimes Unit, Crime Scene Investigations Unit, and Medical Investigators from the New Jersey Northern Regional Medical Examiner's Office investigated.
A postmortem examination performed by the Northern Regional Medical Examiner's Office ruled Alyne Espinal's death a homicide.
On Tuesday, as a result of this investigation, Ignacio Espinal was arrested in West New York without incident.
Espinal was taken to the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office for processing.
Ignacio Espinal was charged with first-degree murder, third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and
third-degree hindering.
Espinal was processed on these charges and taken to the Somerset County Jail pending a detention hearing on this matter.
McDonald thanked members of the Union City Police Department, West New York Police Department, Paterson Police Department, New York City Police Department, Port Authority NY/NJ, Hudson County Prosecutor's Office, and agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation Newark Field Office – Branchburg RA, Federal Bureau of Investigation North
Jersey Violent Crimes Task Force, and Federal Bureau of Investigation Central Jersey Safe Streets Task Force for their help with this investigation.
Anyone with information relating to this investigation is asked to contact the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office Major Crimes Unit at 908-231-7100 or the Somerville Police Department at 908-725-0331 or via the STOPit app.
Information can also be provided through the Somerset
County Crime Stoppers' Tip Line at 1-888-577-TIPS (8477) or SCPO.TIPS. All anonymous STOPit reports, and Crime Stopper tips will be kept confidential.
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